OSCAR MADISON and RONNY PIGEON

Special needs friends who are stronger together

First there was Oscar Madison

In the nine years since his adoption, Oscar has become something of a fixture around the East Village and Lower East. Like so many other neighborhood characters before him, it seems like he has always been around. But really the truth is quite different. Oscar was found on the side of the FDR at the age of 7 or 8 with a broken back spinal cord injury so severe that recovery in any meaningful way seemed impossible. Later, a scan of his spine would reveal a piece of solid bone lodged in his spinal fluid. Left in a city shelter and seeming to many unadoptable, he was fast approaching euthanasia. But one couple saw another future for Oscar and brought him into their foster care. From there it was a matter of fate that Oscar met his forever family, Rick Van Benschoten and Christian Merry. They fell in love instantly and knew that they could provide a happy life little Oscar. And so the new family returned to their apartment in lower Manhattan and began immediately to help Oscar overcome the barriers he faced. First there was the custom fitted wheelchair he uses to this day. With it, Oscar was just as fast as any dog in Tompkins Square Park. Then came the special diaper harness which, resembling a pair of lederhosen, helped prevent the accidents that are part in parcel of living with a special needs pup. Finally, a stroller for when Oscar became tired, allow them to travel everywhere together. And so Oscar began to make friends everywhere. From the night doorman to the corner bodega owner, everyone lit up when they saw him. Before long, he had his own Instagram page, amassing more than 26,000 followers!

The days grew longer for Oscar, as he began to age. He was still the happy pup he always was, but getting around had become more difficulty. In the years since his adoption he welcomed a furry new little sister, Kelly, into his life. He began to split his time between living with his mom upstate, and with his dad in Manhattan. Life had settled into a familiar routine.

Then came Ronny

One day in early 2020, just shy of his 16th birthday, something magical happened. Oscar’s dad Rich came home with a bird; a pigeon in fact. Like Oscar all those years earlier, the pigeon was found needing help. He was unable to fly and would certainly have died on the street had he not been taken in. And as he had done with Oscar a decade earlier, Rick went to work to help the pigeon, now named Ronny, with all the things in life he needed. First, a custom “flight suit” diaper which would allow him to move his wings freely even as it keeps the floor of their tiny apartment clean. Then came flight lessons to help Ronny learn to use his hurt wing. In fact, it wasn’t too long before he was able to take short flights around to apartment. Rick would come to find Ronny almost everywhere: on the bookshelf, the window sill, on his own shoulder and, one day, on Oscar’s head! Oscar did seem to mind and before long Ronny and Oscar became not only brothers, but also best friends.

The moral of the story

Oscar and Ronny remind us that every living thing has value and deserves to be loved. They teach us that we all need help from time to time and that we are stronger together. As an artist, I can not think of a stronger message in these polarized and divisive times. Toughness, tenacity and resilience may come from within but true strength comes with unity and love.

If you think you would make a good forever parent to a loving pup who just needs a little extra help, reach out the Friends with Four Paws, an adoption charity based in New York City. Reach them @friendswithfourpaws.